Sweet Silver Lining
by movienerd1174
Summary: This is an extension of Townhouse Incident (17x11) with a twist!
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! I just can't seem to get these two out of my head! This is an extension of Townhouse Incident (17x11) with a twist. For the sake of this story Ed and Olivia starting seeing each other after their drink in Padre Sandunguero (16x12). I know it strays from the canon timeline so just bare with me.**

 **Enjoy!**

Olivia's hands shook and her entire body felt like a live wire as the shot that killed Joe kept ringing over and over in her head. Despite everything going on around her, all she could focus on was Ed's strong arm wrapped around her waist, leading her away from the scene.

All she wanted to do was collapse in his arms but Carisi was on the opposite side of him, helping him lead her to the ambulance so she refrained. When they reached the rig, Carisi moved away from his lieutenant, filling in the paramedic on her injuries.

Olivia took this opportunity to lean into Ed and whisper quickly. "Lower abdominal pain, started 45 minutes ago." She moved her face away swiftly, careful so no one saw the exchange. He gave a quick nod at her words, his jaw clenching.

The paramedic turned towards the three officers, "Okay, guys. Only one person can ride with the lieutenant."

Carisi jumped at the chance. "I got her, Captain. I'm sure you have a lot to take care with HNT." He turned to open the back doors to the ambulance and Ed and Olivia spared a quick look at each other. Carisi stepped into the ambulance, reaching his hand out. "C'mon Lieu."

"Carisi!", Fin called, approaching them. "No ambulance ride for you. We need your help taking statements."

Jumping down from the truck, Carisi stopped by Ed. "Take care of her, Cap." Ed responded with a sure nod as the other man clapped him on the shoulder.

After helping her into the rig and onto the gurney, Ed took a seat in the captain's chair by the head of stretcher. As soon as the heavy doors slammed shut, he let the tips of his fingers thread through her dark hair. Hair that was matted with sweat and blood.

Her trembling hands sought his wrists, her facade starting to crumble. "Ed…" she whimpered, a small cry escaping her lips.

"I know…", he soothed, his voice barely above a whisper. His fingertips pressed lightly into the skin of her scalp, trying his best to calm her.

Clearing his throat, he spoke again this time loud enough for the paramedic to hear. "She's pregnant." The paramedic looked between the two of them before opening his mouth to speak. "Ten weeks", Ed offered, answering the paramedic's question before he even had a chance to ask it.

It was then that Olivia's composure completely disintegrated. Tears streamed down her face, causing tracks to form through the blood that dried there as one of her hands found it's way to lay on her flat stomach.

Ed bent forward and pressed his lips against her forehead, whispering words of reassurance as her body shook with sobs.

* * *

 _Three Weeks Ago_

 _Sitting at his desk at IAB, Ed looked up at the sound of a soft knock on his door. A small smirk spread across his face as he saw Olivia walk through the door. "Lieutenant Benson", he greeted, leaning back in his chair. "To what do I own this pleasure?'_

 _Making her way towards his desk, she spoke. "Sorry to burst your bubble, Captain, but this visit is strictly personal." He smiled at her cheeky response. They have been dating for just over five months and she still hasn't tired of teasing him about his eternal professionalism._

 _She rounded his desk until she was right next to him, leaning back against the sturdy wood. "I'm beginning to enjoy these personal visits even more than the professional ones." He informed, letting his right hand come up to encircle her lower thigh, right above her knee. "What brings you here?"_

 _Taking a deep breath, Olivia grasped her hands in her lap. "I was going to tell you before you left this morning, but we got… distracted." A blush creeping onto her cheeks as the thoughts of their slow, determined lovemaking entered her mind._

 _He squeezed her thigh soothingly, "So tell me now."_

 _Her hands were fidgeting, all her nervous energy channeling into her fingertips. "I just want you to know that I didn't mean for this to happen, nor did I even think it was possible for it to happen…"_

 _Her voice stopped as his hand covered hers, ceasing their uneasy movements. "Liv, relax. Just tell me."_

 _Reaching behind her, she pulled the thin plastic stick from her back pocket, holding it out to him. He looked up from the pregnancy test to her concerned face and back down to the test._

 _Ed had been looking at item in her hand for what felt like forever and the silence was slowly killing her. "Ed, I know this isn't what either of us were expecting to come out of this. We've only been dating for, what, five months? And we're both north of fifty." When Ed was still silent, she sighed. "What I'm saying is, I'm giving you an out. I can raise this baby on my own. I mean, I already have No…"_

 _Before she could even finish his lips were on hers, swallowing her remaining words. He was now standing between her legs, his rough hands gently cradling her face as his lips moved against hers._

 _He released her lips, his intense blue eyes finding her softs brown ones. "I'm not going anywhere." He rasped, his fingers stroking her pink cheek. She breathed a sigh of relief at his words, closing her eyes as his lips met her forehead. "I've told you before, I'm all in. This doesn't change anything."_

 _Olivia couldn't wipe the smile off her face. "I bet you never thought you were going to be a father at fifty-five, huh?" she asked, her hands coming up to rub against his sides._

 _Ed chuckled, "It's not what I had planned for my life, that's for sure. But I think it might be better." He moved her hair behind her ear. "I can't think of anyone better to be the mother of my child."_

 _His words were lighting a fire inside of her. She reached her hands up and pulled his face down to hers. Moving his hands to the back of her knees, he hoisted her up so she was fully sitting on his desk with him standing between her legs._

 _Digging her fingertips into the muscles of his lower back, Olivia opened her mouth under his. His hands held her head in place as his tongue met hers. She scooted forward so her hips were at the edge of his desk, pressing hotly against his._

 _His hands found her hips, holding them against his as his lips moved down to her neck. "Ed…" She moaned, her hands finding his biceps. He answered by humming against her skin. "Babe…" She repeated, trying to get his attention._

 _Ed pulled away from Olivia, breathing in deeply through his nose. The familiar redness creeped up his neck as it did every time they got hot and heavy. "What's wrong?" he asked, his voice even gruffer than normal as he ran his fingertips down the chords of her neck._

 _"I want to take my time with you." She breathed, squeezing her thighs against his hips. "Not some quickie on your desk. Come over tonight."_

 _He smiled, pecking her lips. "You don't have to ask me twice."_

 _Stepping away from her, Ed took a deep breath in an attempt to calm himself. Olivia slid off the desk and helped him fix his tie. "Ed…", she began, straightening his lapels. His eyes met hers. "It's still really early, can we keep this between us?"_

 _By the tone in her voice, he could tell she was referring to their relationship as well as the pregnancy. He nodded, running his hands up and down her arms. "For as long as you need."_

 _She knew in that moment that all the years of waiting were worth it because she couldn't imagine starting a family with anyone else._

* * *

Hearing the sterile paper crinkle under her, Olivia adjusted herself on the examination table as she stared at the stark white walls in front of her. Suddenly, Amy, the young nurse, stepped into her view. "You're going to need to put this on and the doctor will be in shortly to examine you." She instructed, handing her the folded gown.

She nodded and Amy headed towards the door. She paused in the doorway, looking at Ed as where he stood with his arms folded in the corner. She expected him to follow and when he didn't she nodded minutely, understanding.

When the door clicked shut, Ed made his way to stand in front of Olivia who kept staring straight ahead. "C'mon, doll. We need to get this gown on." He said, taking the gown from her lap and placing it on the table next to her. When his hands reached the hem of her blouse, she flinched. He pulled his hands away so quickly it was as if he were burned. Her glassy eyes jumped to meet his.

Ed took a deep breath, stepping backwards and running a hand over his face. "Olivia, did he…?" He was having a hard time even getting the words out. "Did he…?"

"No", Olivia breathed, her eyes now completely brimming with tears. "But he took the girl into the other room. We could hear her screaming." She completely broke down as the words left her mouth. He couldn't help but step forward and gather her in his arms. She let him, falling against his strong body. "Her brother was begging me to stop him but there was nothing I could do." She sobbed against his chest, her tears soaking through his dress shirt.

He stroked her hair lovingly as she let out all her emotion against his chest. "Listen to me, Liv. You did everything you could, you hear me? Those kids are alive because of _you_." He spoke into her hair before kissing it.

She pulled back to look at him, her beautiful face marred with bruises, blood and tears. "All I could keep thinking is what if it was…" She couldn't even finish her statement as another round of sobs wracked her body, her hand flying protectively to her stomach.

He breathed heavily, trying his best to hold his own tears at bay. "You can't think like that, okay? If you do, you'll never get out of the bed in the morning."

Those words seemed to calm her. He was right. There was so much tragedy in the world that if she let it consume her she would be no use to Noah or their new baby. She lifted her head off of his chest to look at him, her breath starting to even out. "Can, can you help me?" she asked, referring to her gown. "I'm really sore."

Concerned etched his handsome face. "Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yes", she confirmed, grabbing his hands and bringing them to the bottom of her blouse.

Olivia raised her hands slowly, allowing Ed to push the material up her body. When his hands met her underarms, he stopped. He went rigid at the sight of a large bruise on her right flank. "He kicked you…"

It wasn't as much a question as it was a statement. "No", she said surprising him as he removed the garment the rest of the way, "I fell into something after he pistol whipped me." He let out a primal grunt at hearing about what that bastard did to her. Olivia saw that he couldn't meet her gaze. She grabbed his cheeks, making him look at her. "I'm fine, Ed. Really I am. I'm more worried about the baby."

Fear flashed across his blue eyes and that's when she realized that her words were no comfort to him. "Everything will be okay." She said with a with a weak smile, trying to convince herself as well as him.

Ed nodded briefly before crouching down, assisting her in removing her dress slacks. He helped each foot out, gingerly handling her ankles. Running his calloused fingers over her smooth calves, he noticed her flinch. "What? What did I do?" He asked worriedly, looking up to her face.

"Cramp", she breathed, bringing her hands up to her stomach. He moved so his face was level with her abdomen and softly pressed his lips against the soft skin there. She sighed, one of her hands coming to rest on his head as he continued to lay whispering kisses along her belly.

She looked down at him when she heard him muttering. "It's okay, you're gonna be okay." He murmured lowly, trying to sooth the baby beneath. Little did he know that he was comforting his girlfriend as well.

Standing up, Ed grasped Olivia's hips before helping her back up onto the exam table. His feet stayed planted in front of her as he brought his hands to hold her face. He leaned his forehead against hers, getting lost in her eyes.

They stood there for several minutes. His thumb moving carefully against her cheek, their lips inches from each other making their hot breath mingle between them. The worry in his eyes mixed with the tender words he whispered to their baby caused tears to well in her eyes

The door creaked open and the sound caused Ed to move away, back to the corner of the room in an attempt to maintain their charade. The doctor looked between the two of them as she walked into the room. "Olivia, why don't you lay back? We're going to start the pelvic exam." She explained before turning to Tucker. "You might want to wait outside."

With his hands in his pockets, he took a step forward. "A pelvic, doc? He didn't touch her." The word 'rape' still too bitter on his tongue when it came to Olivia.

A small smile spread across the doctor's face at his attempt to try to remain professional. "I assure you, Captain, it's standard procedure for pregnant women."

Olivia held her hand out to him and he looked at it hesitantly. "It's okay, come here." She said, flexing her outstretched hand. He reached her, one of his hands taking her hand while the other one went to her hair. "I'll be fine. Go have a cigarette, get a cup of coffee and it'll be over by the time you get back."

He looked to the doctor who nodded, confirming her words. "Okay", he conceded, bending down as leaving a lingering kiss on her forehead before reluctantly leaving the room.

* * *

Rounding the corner, Ed made his way down the hallway. The sleeves of his white dress shirt rolled up to his elbows, a signature blue paper coffee cup in his hand. Just as he had passed the nurses station, he heard Rollins and Carisi approach it from behind him.

"Olivia Benson?" Rollins asked the nurse sitting at the desk.

Ed turned around, facing the two. "Rollins. Carisi." He greeted.

They turned towards him, temporarily distracted from the nurse. Carisi reached to shake his hand. "Thanks for riding with her, Captain. She seemed pretty shaken up."

"Not a problem." He answered, looking down at his feet.

"All right, Ms. Benson." The nurse piped up, their attention turning back to her. "Looks like they just finished her pelvic and their taking her up to OB for an ultrasound."

Ed's eyes fell shut at her words, a small sigh leaving his lips. Rollins and Carisi couldn't help the shock that found its way to their faces as they turned to look at each other. They looked to the Captain, expecting to see the same shock but that is not what they found. He opened his eyes meeting their stunned expressions. "Keep this on a need to know basis, detectives." He instructed, as if he was their commanding officer.

They both nodded professionally. A faint expression of joy spread across Sonny's face while uneasiness was evident on Amanda's. It wasn't lost on them how jaded Tucker was to the surprising news.

The two detectives spared a look at each as a different nurse approached them from behind Ed. "Captain Tucker", she called, causing him to turn around. "Lieutenant Benson is all set up in room five, she's waiting on you to start the ultrasound."

And there it went, the affair they've been keeping secret for six months out in the open. He turned to face Rollins and Carisi. With their suspicion being confirmed, he could tell that they were looking at him in a different light. Not a bad light, just a different one.

Giving them an understanding nod, he turned as followed the doctor.

* * *

Hearing the door to the exam room open, Olivia looked up to find Ed walking in. His sleeves rolled up, showing off his muscular forearms. She noted the way his jaw was flexing and relaxing with the effort of chewing gum. A habit he picks up when he's stressed.

When he reached her, he smiled down at her. Her face was cleaned of all the blood, sweat and make up, a butterfly bandage covering the cut on her cheek bone. "Gorgeous", he mused, his fingers finding her forehead and moving into her soft hair.

"Liar", she smirked, enjoying the feeling of his fingers against her scalp. "You're nervous", she observed, motioning to the gum he was chewing. It wasn't a question but a statement.

He pulled up a nearby chair, taking her hand in his once he was seated. Pressing the back of her smooth hand to his rough cheek, he smiled sadly at her. "Of course I am." His voice was pure gravel.

Olivia drew her finger down his cheek to trace his thin lips. "Me too", she confessed, her eyes following the path of her finger. He caught her hand in his, pressing a firm kiss into her palm.

"Rollins and Carisi know." Ed told her. A shocked look crossed her face.

Before she could speak the door opened and Ed instinctively pulled his mouth away, his hand still remaining intertwined with hers. The doctor entered the room, wheeling the ultrasound machine in. "You must be Dad." She observed, setting up the machine.

A wide smile spread across his face at the moniker. Olivia had never seen his face light up quite that much. "Yeah, I'm Dad." He replied.

"Okay Mom, let's get started." The doctor began, pushing up her gown so it rested right under her bosom, revealing her still flat stomach.

The deep blue satin of her panties caught his eyes. He remembered watching her slip them on that morning as she dressed. Her hair a mess from his hands and her chest red from his morning stubble. It seemed like a lifetime ago.

He was brought out of his thoughts as the doctor spoke. "Unfortunately, taking into account your age, this pregnancy is considered high risk. But as long as we can locate a heartbeat, there's no reason to think this baby will be anything but perfect." She explained, squirting the blue gel on her belly.

The doctor moved the attachment over Olivia's stomach before continuing. "I know you two have very demanding jobs, but do you're best to keep the stress levels low. You got that, Dad?" Ed nodded with a small smile as he watched the ultrasound wands spread the gel over her abdomen. "If I'm not mistaken, this will be the first time you hear the heartbeat? Last time, it was probably too early."

Olivia nodded.

The silence hung thick in the room and lasted several minutes. Ed could tell his girl was getting anxious. Her eyes were darting around and her bottom lip was trembling. He tried to sooth her in the only he knows how, by running his rugged hand up and down her smooth arm.

And then, there it was. The sound that Ed and Olivia had been waiting with baited breath to hear. The rapid fluttering filled the room, overtaking the silence. Ed's forehead dropped to their joined hands as Olivia's head fell back, tears slipping from her eyes. Relief washing over both of them like a tidal wave.

Feeling Ed lay kisses on her hand, she squeezed the fingers that were intertwined with her. He lifted his head and meet her glossy eyes. "That's our baby." She sobbed.

Moving closer, he pressed him lips firmly against hers. She held his face to hers, feeling the safety and care that radiated off of him. "That's our baby." he repeated against her lips, his voice gruff with emotion.

Suddenly, the day that seemed the darkest got a little bit brighter.

* * *

Slipping his hands into the pockets of his slacks, Ed leaned against the open door way. He smiled at a peaceful Olivia, laying in bed with her eyes shut. The comforter resting at her waistline, showing of the baby blue cami that was hugging her curves. Her hair pulled up into a messy bun, several tendrils falling out of place.

Her eyes were still closed when she spoke, "You know, I think you might be the most handsome lurker out there." A smile spread across her face before she opened her eyes.

There was a light that shone in his eyes when she smiled. "Teeth are brushed, story time is finished and Noah is asleep." he explained.

"Thank you", she whispered, lovingly. She gazed at him for several moments, drinking him in. He was standing there, still in his work slacks and his button down long gone. In its place was his under shirt that stretched across the muscles of his chest and arms. "Well, are you just gonna stand there or…?"

At her words, he moved into the room. Making his way around to her side of the bed, he perched on the edge right next to Olivia. She observed the way he was sitting. Rigid posture, his hands in his lap. "I'm not made of glass, you know." She voiced, her hand reached out to rest on his arm.

That was enough to soften his exterior. Letting out a breath, he brought his hand up to the side of her neck to gently swipe his thumb over her injured cheek. "Hi", she whispered, leaning into his hand.

"Hi", he responded, a small smile playing on his lips. He moved his hand only to brush some of the loose pieces of hair behind her ear. "You've had a long day, you need rest."

Olivia knew Ed and she could tell that he was hinting that she needed rest without him. "No, stay", she begged, practically hugging his arm to her body. "Please." As if it had a mind of its own, his hand moved to slip under the fabric of her tank top to press against the warm skin there.

If anyone could break his resolve, it was the woman in front of him. There was no way he could resist those big brown eyes pleading with him. The same words kept falling from her lips like a breathy prayer, luring him forward.

His eyes fell closed as their foreheads met, their breathes mingling together. "Stay with me tonight, sugar." she requested, using the nickname that she only used in these intimate moments. _Your lips are as sweet as sugar_ she had said one of the first times they had kissed.

She knew he had no control when she called him that, none. A groan bubbled deep in his throat as his blunt nails scraped against the skin of her stomach. "I'm safe with you, make me feel safe."

That did him in, his lips caught hers in a searing kiss. She was making him lose control and she knew exactly what she was doing. There was nothing in this world that Ed wanted more than for Olivia to feel safe.

Without his lips leaving hers, he maneuvered so he was straddling her hips. He broke the kiss, kneeling above her. Her lust filled eyes looked up at him as he reached behind his head, grasping the neckline of his white t shirt and pulling it off. She bit her lip when she saw the redness spread up his neck from his chest, reaching his ears. A tell tale sign of the arousal coursing through his body.

He looked down at her as he balled up his shirt and tossed it aside. Her breasts heaved under the constraints on her tank top with every breath she took. She reached her hands up until her fingers found the firm muscles of his lower stomach.

Olivia could never get enough of admiring Ed's body. She could never have imagined that a fifty-five year old could have such a toned body. Of course, he could wear the hell out of a suit but nothing compared to the first time she saw him naked.

His eyes closed against the feeling of her nails scraping along the waistband of his pants. They flew open when he felt his belt buckle begin to come undone. As soon as she unzipped his fly, his lips were back on hers.

Placing his forearms on either side of her head, his fingers threaded through her hair as he took her bottom lip between his. Without his lips leaving hers, he managed to settle himself between her legs. He felt her legs bend on either side of him, her thighs brushing against his hips.

Ed's lips left hers only to lay kisses all over her face. Her nose, both her eyes, her forehead, before they moved to her cheek. They brushed over the bandaged cut there, not applying pressure. Just lingering there, as if his warm breath could heal her. She closed her eyes at the feeling.

He was amazed by the woman under him. She had been through so much in the years he had known her and had never ceased to bounce back. She deserved to be respected, cherished, wanted… loved.

His lips stilled as the thought fleeted from his mind. He pulled his face back from hers to take in her beauty. His eyes were looking between hers when something glistening in the dim room caught his attention.

Looking down, he noticed the golden pendant she always wore nestled between her supple breasts. He took it in between his fingers, reading the inscription on it. _Fearlessness._ A half smile crossed his face, there isn't a word in the English language that could describe her better. If she could brave today, he could find the courage to tell her how he felt.

Her hand found his chin, making his eyes meet hers. He could tell she was trying to figure out what was going on in his head.

Taking a deep breath, he spoke. "I love you , Liv. J.C Mary and Joseph I love you everything about you. Professionally, emotionally, spiritually, physically." He groaned, looking down at her body beneath his as he pushed his groin against hers. "And I love seeing you being a mom to Noah, knowing you'll be like that with our baby. There's no one else I would want to do this with…". Before he could finish, her lips were on his. Her hands found the back of his head, holding his face to hers.

When Olivia finally pulled away, she pressed her forehead against his. "I love you too, sugar."

Ed kissed her again, smiling against her lips while sliding a hand beneath her tank top to rest against her smooth stomach. "You're kinda stuck with me now." He grinned, his bright eyes dancing as he rubbed her tummy.

She rolled her eyes jokingly, "What have I gotten myself into?"

Before she knew it, his hands were attacking her sides causing her to laugh out and squirm under him. "You're gonna pay for that!" He rasped, his hands not ceasing.

"What if… I pay you… back in… another way?" She managed to get out between laughs. That caused him to stop, mischief and lust dancing in his eyes. The look on his face caused her to laugh again. "You're so easy, Tucker!"

His hands returned to her sides, continuing the attack while his lips began their own attack on her neck.

Today was a dark cloud over her, but this is what kept her going. Goofing around with Ed, Noah sleeping in the other room, their baby growing in her belly. They were her sweet silver lining.

 **I really really really love hearing what you guys think so please review!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello my loves! Originally, this was going to be a one shot but I couldn't get pregnant Tuckson out of my head! This is going to be more like a few one shots strung together than an actual story. But I hope you're all ready for a little jealous tucker! There is a little time jump between this and the last chapter. Olivia is about 18 weeks pregnant (four and a half months). And FYI, the NYPD Foundation Gala is a real thing, I looked it up. I did take some creative liberties with this story, I know Chief William Dodds isn't as bad as how he is portrayed in my story. I know that, hopefully I made it work.**

 **The strangest thing happened within the last week. I uploaded this story almost a month ago and I have gotten almost 10 reviews for it within the last 7 days after nothing for 3 weeks. I don't know if someone recommended this story but if they did, THANK YOU!**

 **Enjoy!**

 _Two months later_

Hearing a knock on her office door, Olivia looked up from the case file she was reading to find her second in command. "What can I do for you, Sergeant?" She asked, moving her reading glasses to the top of her head.

Mike looked uneasy as he shuffled from one foot to the other. "I told him you had a rough day and that you're about to leave but he still insists on talking to you..." Seeing the look of confusion on the lieutenant's face, he continued, "My father is here to see you."

Giving Mike a closed lip smile and nod, she silently gave him the okay to let him in. The younger Dodds ducked out while the elder one entered. The chief closed the door behind him, making his way towards Olivia. Under her desk, her had found her barely visible baby bump. Her pregnancy and relationship with Ed Tucker was still under wraps. While she suspected most of her squad knew, they had kept the news quiet out of respect for their superior.

"Chief Dodds, what can I do for you?" She asked flatly, folding her hands on her desk.

When he reached her desk, he half sat on the wood. "I'm glad you asked, Lieutenant." Her questioning eyes met his. "I'd like to ask you to accompany me to the NYPD Foundation Gala."

She was taken aback to say the least and it was written on her face. "Dodds, I don't think that's a good idea." She was carrying Ed Tucker's baby. There was no way she could schmooze alongside Deputy Chief William Dodds all night, nor did she want to. Especially considering the feelings she suspected he had for her.

"Oh, c'mon Olivia. The white shirts absolutely loved you at the last dinner, they ate you up." He persuaded, a sly smile playing on his lips.

Her stomach turned, as if the baby inside her could sense the uneasiness she was feeling. "A dinner is one thing. Isn't bringing a subordinate to the biggest NYPD event of the year crossing the line?" All she received in response was a smug shrug and raised eyebrows. "It's not a good idea." She reiterated.

"I'm not going to take no for an answer, Lieutenant Benson." His mischievous eyes danced as he bared his teeth it what was supposed to be a warm smile.

She sighed, he was not making this easy. When it came to the job, Williams Dodds was as professional as they come but when it came to Olivia he always came off as impish. She always had trust issues with men and William Dodds gave her a red flag.

Taking her silence as a concession, he clapped his hands together. "Great, this Saturday. I'll pick you up at seven."

There was no use in fighting him on this. She gave him a tight smile to appease him before he turned to leave. When the door closed behind him, she let out the breath she was holding and buried her head in her hands.

* * *

Picking up her remote control, Olivia lowered the volume of the television as she heard her front door creek open. She waited a moment, listening from her place in bed. And then she heard her boyfriend's gravelly voice from the other room. "It' me, Liv." He whisper-shouted, not wanting to wake Noah.

A moment later, Ed entered the room shrugging off his suit jacket and toeing off his dress shoes. "Hey", she greeted happily, her smile wide. He forced a smile while loosening his tie. Her smile dropped a bit at his expression, she could tell that his day did not go well.

Ed crawled onto the bed and laid himself on top of Olivia. His body half on hers, half on the bed with his face buried in her neck. "Rough day?" She asked as she brought her hand up to scratch the short hair at the back of his head. Her voice as soothing as her actions. His days at IAB have been more often than not unbearable and she could see the toll it has taken on him.

He whined in her neck, confirming her question. She let out a small laugh at his childish response. "Do you want to talk about it?" She questioned and he shook his head in return. Stroking his neck and shoulders, she let him stay nestled against her for as long as he needed.

Several minutes passed when she felt his hands tightening around her waist and his lips press against the sensitive skin on her neck. He shifted so his body was covering hers completely and lifted his head so his face was in front of hers. "Hi", he whispered, his nose brushing against hers.

She smiled at how lighter his expression was now. "Hi", she replied, her hand coming up to stroke his rugged cheek. He pressed his lips against hers in a series of light pecks, humming at the taste of her. "You know, you're not going to be able to do this for long." She referred to his body on top of hers as she pushed his hips up.

He rolled off of her to lay on his side, his hand slipping under her night shirt. The bump forming there barely visible to the unknowing eye but that didn't stop Ed. He made a point to feel his unborn child every chance he got. "You're right", he muttered. "But I'm so damn excited to watch this little one grow."

Throwing her head back against a pillow, she groaned. "You're excited for me to be a whale?"

Bringing his hand to the side of her neck, he forced her to look at him. "You are going to be beautiful." She rolled her eyes as he pressed his lips to hers.

With their foreheads still pressed together, Olivia spoke, "Dodds came into see me today."

An expression laced with both confusion and jealousy crossed his handsome face. He rolled off of her and onto his side, propping his head up on his hand. "And...?" His face hardened. She knew that Dodds was not Ed's favorite person, not by a long shot.

She sighed, "He asked me to go to the foundation gala with him..."

The fire that burned behind his eyes was completely foreign to her. She could practically hear his jaw set in a hard line.

Seconds felt like years as she waited for him to say something. Her eyes searched his face, trying to read any trace of emotion there. But he was stoic, calm and that worried her.

After several moments of silence, she watched as he rose from the bed. He looked around as if trying to locate something he had lost before he eventually spoke. "I need some air." He rasped.

He headed over to her window and opened it, crawling out onto the fire escape. Olivia laid there, taken aback by what had transpired. She knew that he did not like Chief Dodds but she didn't expect him to take it that hard. She crawled out of bed then too, slipping his NYPD zip up hoodies over her shoulders.

Following his lead, she climbed on the fire escape as well. He was sitting on the rickety metal with his back against the brick when she joined him. She could tell by the look on his face that he didn't expect her to follow him. His hands betrayed his emotions as they reached out to help guide her to sit safely.

She pulled the material of the hoodie tighter around her body, fighting off the cold she felt from the night air as well as the man sitting next to her. Looking at him out of her peripheral, she took in his appearance. A cigarette hung from his lips as he looked off into the distance, the slight breeze blowing through his short silver hair. Even when he was upset with her, she couldn't think of anyone more handsome.

It was finally Ed who broke the silence. "I'm going to quit...", he defended, blowing a stream of smoke away from Olivia as he flicked the ash of his cigarette.

"I know", she whispered. As much as she hated his unhealthy habit, she loved the coarseness it caused in his voice. The roughness in his voice could bring her to her knees.

They sat there on the fire escape in silence, letting the sounds of the city wash over them. It felt like a lifetime before he spoke. "Are you ashamed of me?" It was barely a whisper and his soft tone caused her eyes to snap to his face. He couldn't meet her eyes, a smoldering cigarette between his two fingers.

Scooting closer to him on the metal grate, Olivia closed the foot long gap between them. She tugged his arm towards her, hugging it against her chest while his other one snuffed out his cigarette. "Absolutely not", she breathed, resting her chin against his shoulder. He sighed, the cloud his hot breath made in the cold night air dissipating slowly. She tugged on his arm in an attempt to get his attention. His eyes finally met hers, the vulnerability she found there made her heart ache. "I'm not", she reassured.

"I've been trying really hard to be patient but we are already half way through this pregnancy and we haven't even set up the nursery yet. God, Liv, I want to shout that you're mine from the rooftop. I want to tell everyone that you're having my baby." Olivia was taken aback by Ed's confession. He was always one to play his cards close his vest. Always keeping his personal life private and his emotions to himself.

She played with his masculine fingers as they sat in her lap. "If 1PP found out..."

He cut her off before she could finish. "If they find out, I'll handle it. You, Noah and this baby are my life now. I'm not going to live in hiding."

Bringing her fingertips to his face, she stroked his chiseled cheek. "It's not just that." She paused, attempting to find the right words. "As soon as 1PP finds out I'm pregnant, I'm going to be chained to the desk. How am I going to run a precinct? I've worked so hard to get to where I am and it's all going to go away over night. It's an old boys club and they equate pregnancy with weakness."

Brushing his thumb along her cheekbone, making her look at him. "You are stronger _because_ of my child growing inside of you not despite of. And if it was up to me, I will do everything in my power that they know that. I can't do that if no one knows we're together."

She pulled his face to hers, their lips connecting in a sweet kiss. "One week, just give me one week."

He sighed against her lips. "Does that mean you're still going to the gala with Dodds?"

Pressing her forehead against his, she answered. "I can't back out now." He dug his teeth into his lower lip at her answer.

His body was turned towards hers now, with her practically in his lap. His hands slipped under the open zip up hoodie she was wearing, his fingers playing against the soft cotton of her tank top. "Can you just promise me that you'll be careful? I don't trust the look in his eye when he sees you."

She brought her fingers up to his mouth, her fingertips soothing where his teeth had marred the soft tissue. "It doesn't matter who knows about me and you. I will make sure he knows that I'm taken."

* * *

The Waldorf Astoria ballroom buzzed with hundreds of New York's finest milling around. It would be hard to believe that these people, dressed in tuxes and elegant dresses networking like members of a Fortune 500 company, spent the majority of their day with a gun strapped to their hip. Olivia could not bring herself to pay attention to the cooperate talk happening around her. Instead, she tuned out Chief Dodds' voice as she observed her environment.

Chandeliers dripped from the intricate ceiling like diamonds and the dance floor stretched for what seemed like miles. The room looked like it was set up more for a wedding than a police foundation gala. Dodds noticed Olivia admiring the room out of the corner of his eye. He leaned forward to whisper in her ear, "Get used to it, Lieutenant. You'll be attending these events more often now."

A uneasy shiver ran down her spine, she wasn't sure if it was the thought of being apart of these black tie affairs or the closeness of the chief. She gave him a strained smile, adverting her eyes to continue their survey of the room and that's when she saw him...

Ed Tucker.

Leaning against the bar, dressed to the nines in a black tux. He looked like a character out of a Bond movie. His eyes had been on her since before she had spotted him. Like a magnet, Olivia found herself being drawn across the large space to him, leaving Dodds without so much as a word.

He could not take his eyes off of her as she approached him. The black dress she wore took his breath away. It clung to all her right curves, leaving room for her growing belly. To the unknowing eye, her bump was not visible but Ed could not stop staring at it as she sauntered towards him.

"I didn't expect to see you here..." She greeted as she reached the bar, not able to stop the smile that spread across her face.

He swirled his tumbler of bourbon in one hand while the other pushed a glass across the bar towards her. "Club soda with lime and a splash of cranberry." He stated. It was the "mocktail" she had come accustomed to ordering in the last couple months when she didn't want people to notice she wasn't drinking.

A gracious look graced her face as she took the glass in her hand and sipped out of the small straw. "I never thought I'd see Ed Tucker in a tux."

Chuckling at her remark, he ran his hand down the front of his tux jacket self consciously. "I wear a suit everyday."

"Don't worry, you look great." She soothed, her fingers itching to reach out to him.

As she angled her front towards the bar, he got a glimpse of her back. Her dress clasps at the back of her neck with a cut out that plunged all the way to her lower back, showing off the dimples he always loved to kiss. "Liv... that dress. You look incredible." He practically growled. She blushed, looking down at her drink. With the bar obstructing everyone else's view of her stomach, he brought his hand up to press against the material covering her belly. "I just wish you didn't have to hide our baby girl."

Throughout the progression of her pregnancy, her hormones had begun to run rampant and nothing turned her on more than Ed being fatherly. Her eyes fell closed at his words as her hand came up to cover his.

Stepping forward, he closed the space between them. "Let me come over later", he pleaded lowly, the tips of his fingers pressing against her pliant abdomen. "You can't wear that dress and expect me not to want to push you up against the wall." She bit her lip and squeezed his hand, trying to stifle the moan that rose in her throat. "All these men are staring at you and all I want to do is kiss you in front of all of them so they know you're mine."

Her eyes shot open and met his, arousal swiring behind her brown orbs. His hand moved higher, ghosting along the underside of her supple breasts. His eyes raked over the length of her body as her vision blurred with the need rushing through her.

Olivia's head spun as his touch disappeared. Her eyes came into focus to find Ed quickly stepping away from her. She suddenly felt a looming presence behind her and she could tell by the look on Ed's face it was Dodds. Taking a step back, she positioned herself so the two men were facing off in front of her. "Come along, Olivia. Dinner is about to be served." The chief explained, bringing a hand to her bare back. "Captain", he nodded.

The muscles in Ed's jaw clenched, setting his face in a tight line. She knew that look, and she knew that it had everything to do with Dodds and the way he was touching her. She wanted nothing more than to reach out and reassure him that she was his and that she never wanted anyone besides him but she couldn't.

Her eyes were torn from Ed's as Dodds lead her away. They made it a few steps before she heard his raspy voice, "Hey, lieutenant!" She turned to find him holding out her drink. When she reached him, he noticed that Dodds had briefly looked away and took the opportunity to pull her close. With her body against his, he whispered in her ear. "I love you."

Before she could register what happened, he had his back to her and was walking towards his table.

* * *

Placing her utensils down on the table, Olivia gently pushed her half full plate away from her. Chief Dodds noticed this from the seat next to her. "Did you not like the stuffed chicken?" He asked out of the side of his mouth while he chewed.

Waving off his assumption, she spoke. "No, it was great. I'm just trying to watch my portion sizes." Sometimes she surprised herself with the lies she came up with.

Draping his arm across the back of her chair, he leaned in towards her. A little too close for her liking. "You know, you really don't need to. You have an great figure."

She was struggling to find the words to form a response. As if he could sense her predicament, she felt the brush of familiar fingertips on her shoulder. "Sorry, Chief. I'm going to have to steal Lieutenant away from you for a moment." Ed interjected.

The brightest smile graced her face as she rose from the table before Dodds had the chance to object. She followed the path Ed was taking and as soon as they started weaving in and out dancing couple his fingers intertwined with hers. They finally reached the middle of the crowded dance floor, getting lost in the sea of people. Once he was sure that they were hidden from prying eyes, he pulled her against him. One of his hands went to the skin of her bare back, the other one holding her hand to her chest as they swayed to the soft music.

"Thank you for saving me", she smirked, her finger tips scraping where his hair met the back of his neck.

He brought the hand that he was holding up to his lips, kissing her fingers softly. "That's what I'm here for." He replied, a smirk tugging at one corner of his lips.

She brushed the back of her knuckles against the stubble that began to form on his cheek. "You look handsome, Tucker." She breathed as her eyes searched his face. His smirk spread into a full blown smile, a smile that never ceased to make her heart ache.

Looking down at their feet as they moved, she felt his lips press against the top of her head as he breathed in her scent. When she looked back at him a concerned expression had replaced his smile. "You feeling okay?" He asked, his eyebrows knitting together. "You barely ate anything at dinner."

Chuckling at his ever present concern, she rubbed his upper back soothingly. "Yeah, I just don't want my belly to pop the way it always does when I eat a full meal."

"But you know how much I love that." He smirked, looking between their bodies. "Not feeling tired or anything? I know you usually start getting drowsy at this time."

Olivia looked into his soft blue eyes, the concern he had for her swirling there. "I'm perfect", she smiled brightly. Suddenly she didn't care who was around her, all she could see was the man she loved, the father of her child. She leaned forward planting a kiss on his face, where the corner of his lips met his cheek. He was taken aback by her very public display of affection causing his fingertips to dig into the bare skin of her lower back. Pressing her entire body against the length of his, she rested her forehead on his cheek as they swayed to the music filling the room.

Tightening his arm around her, he closed his eyes as they moved together. He was never one for dancing or PDA's, for that matter, but he never wanted this dance to end. His heart swelled at the feeling of her tiny baby bump pressing against his abdomen as they moved. Leaning down, he placed a tender kiss against the exposed skin on her shoulder.

The action causing her breath to catch and her fingers to clutch the material of his collar. "I could get used to this." He muttered, his fingertips ghosting up and down her back. "Promise next year you'll come with me?"

Talking about the future with Ed never failed to make her smile. She had spent years dating men, looking for someone to share a future with and the right person was under her nose all along. "I promise, sugar."

They spent the next couple of moments undulating against each other until Olivia felt Ed's body stiffen. "Captain, do you mind if I cut in?" She stepped away from her dancing partner at the sound of the Chief's voice. Ed gave him a cold nod before giving Olivia a pointed look and reluctantly letting the other man take his spot in front of her.

Ed had the hardest time pulling himself away from her. He watched as Dodds placed his hands in the exact same position that he had only moments before. She purposely kept distance between them as they began to sway. Ed hesitantly began to retreat from the two, looking back every couple of steps. Her eyes met his every time he glanced over his shoulder until the crowd swallowed him.

Trying her best she tuned out everything Dodds was saying, just counting the seconds until the song ended. Towards the end of the song, the occupants of the dance floor started to dissipate allowing her to see Ed leaning against the bar. His eyes watched them like a hawk, nodding towards the hallway that held the bathroom and mouthing "Follow me".

Olivia began to fan herself. "Excuse me, Chief. I'm not feeling so well. I'm going to go to the bathroom and splash some water on my face."

"Hurry back, Lieutenant." he demanded, baring his teeth in what was supposed to be a smile.

Pushing passed him, she headed across the ballroom as she watched Ed head into the hallway. Her high heels clicked against the marble floor as she made her way down the dim, desolate corridor. A little yelp left her mouth as she felt a pair of hands on her waist, pushing her up against the wall. "Shh, it's me." Ed whispered against her lips before capturing them with his. She relaxed against him, bringing her hands up to hold his cheeks.

As their lips parted, he pressed his forehead against hers. "God, I can't stand by and watch him touch you like that." He growled. She could feel his urgency in his fingertips as they pressed into her back.

"I'm yours, I promise." She breathed hotly against his wet lips. Groaning at her words, he caught her lips again. Olivia had always been independent and she would never condone a man treating a woman as a possession. But she was Ed's in every sense of the word. He occupied every piece of her being; her mind, her heart, her body.

Her breath caught in her throat as his rough hands found the back of her thighs. The slit of her dress allowing him to yank her legs up to wrap around his hips. Once her body was encircling his, he pressed her completely against the wall. Her arms wrapped around his shoulders as his lips started sucking the sensitive skin of her neck and upper chest.

With heaving breaths, he pulled away slightly to admire her glossy eyes and her swollen lips. "Liv, I've never..." He was having trouble finding the words, between his panting and the emotions rushing through his head. "You're the only person I have ever felt this way about. I've never wanted to harm someone for so much as looking at a woman. Not even my ex-wife." His fingers were tracing her face as if she was the most precious thing he had ever seen.

Her hands framed his face as he talked, her thumb swiping over his lower lip. "They don't matter. You know why?" She asked and he quirked his eyebrows in question. "Because tonight, I'll be in your bed not theirs."

He closed his eyes at her words, his hips pressing against hers. "Go get your purse. I'll meet you in the lobby." He purred against her cheek.

* * *

Reaching her assigned table, Olivia noticed that Dodds back was to her as he talked to another member of the NYPD. She snuck up behind him and covertly grabbed her clutch without drawing his attention before she headed for the lobby.

As she made her way down the hallway towards the foyer, she heard the Chief call behind her, "Wait up, Lieutenant!" She finally turned around when she reached the elaborate entryway. When she did, she was surprised at his proximity to her. His liquor soaked breath washed over her as his bloodshot eyes raked over her. "You're not leaving yet, are you?" He slurred, trying to catch his footing.

"I am", she confirmed, shoving her clutch under her arm before reaching out her hands to help steady him.

Despite his instability, he took a few wobbling steps towards her. "C'mon, stay. I'll get you another drink."

"Oh, I think you've had enough, Chief." She laughed, trying to lighten the mood. That didn't stop the uneasiness that washed over her as he continued to back her up against the wall.

His glazed eyes watched as his finger trailed down her neck to the top of her chest. "When are we going to stop doing this little dance?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Dodds." She retorted, trying to carefully push him away.

Grabbing her wrists, he pinned them against the wall in an attempt to stop her resistance. She winced at his firm grip and the way his body was pressed against hers. "C'mon, Olivia. I know you want me as much as I want you." He whispered loudly, the smell of liquor wafting around her. In any other situation, she would knee him in the crotch but he pinned his knees up against hers rendering them useless. "God, I wanna taste you. I wanna know what it feels like to be inside of you..."

Walking into the foyer, Ed looked around surveying the area for his girlfriend. He noticed a slight disturbance against the far wall. As he got closer, he realized that someone had Olivia, his Olivia, restrained against the wall. And that someone was Chief William Dodds.

Ed's typical calm gait quickly turned into a sprint as he rushed to Olivia's aide. "Get off of her!" He shouted as he reached them. Gripping the other man's shoulder, he whipped him around and landed a hard blow to his jaw. The forceful impact causing the offending man to stumble backwards. "Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" He asked, taking her face in his hands, surveying the area.

"I-I'm fine." She stuttered shakily, her hands going to his sides.

When he regained his footing and composure, Chief Dodds took in the image of the couple in front of him. "You two?!" he scoffed, swiping at his split lip. "1PP is going to _love_ that."

Any remaining sense of cool Ed had left dissipated quickly at the other man's words. He tore his body away from Olivia's and roughly grabbed Dodds by the lapels, jacking him up against the nearest wall. "You son of a bitch!" He seethed. "You know what 1PP is really going to love? Their most decorated chief sexually assaulting a pregnant lieutenant."

Unnerve and disbelief crossed his feature as his impaired brain finally registered what he was being told. "Pregnant?" He gulped.

"Yeah", Ed growled, his fists tightening around the fabric of the tux. "And if you so much as breathe the wrong way in her presence, I will end you. I don't care what brass shield you pin on your chest."

It was when Dodds' eyes shot to the side that Ed realized that Olivia was now by his side. Tugging lightly on his sleeve, she spoke. "C'mon, he's not worth it."

The concern and love on her face caused his anger to soften. "She's right, you're not worth it." He hissed, shoving the man away causing him to stagger backwards.

Olivia's arms encircled his waist, trying to instill some calm into him. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders as he led them towards the exit.

Chef Dodds smoothed out his suit, looking around for any witnesses before focusing on the retreating couple. "Expect a call from 1PP tonight, Tucker!" He bellowed.

"Can't wait!" Ed called over his shoulder, his step never faltering as they reached the doorway to the elaborate hotel.

* * *

Slipping his hands into the pockets of his tuxedo pants, Ed leaning up against the doorway of the bathroom as he took in the sight of his girlfriend. She was standing in front of the vanity, still glad in her gala dress as she began her nightly routine.

He stood there for several moments, trying to find the right words to say. When he finally did speak, his voice was scratchy and low. "I'm sorry, Liv. I know this isn't how you wanted everything come out but I just saw red. I couldn't stop myself."

Olivia continued to look ahead into the mirror as she slowly took over her earrings, one by one. Turning to face him, she leaned her hip against the countertop. "You don't have to apologize for protecting me." She replied, her voice calm and soothing.

She could practically see the tension evaporate from his body at her words. He couldn't look more manly standing there in his tuxedo pants, the sleeves of his dress shirt rolled up to his elbow to show off the bulging muscles of his forearms, his bow tie hanging untied around his neck. But the concern and guilt on his face made him look like a young boy.

"Can you unzip me?" She asked, turning back to face her reflection.

When he reached her, he unzipped the back of her dress and let it fall open. His eyes met hers in the mirror. "Are you sure you're okay?" He asked, his fingers twitching against the exposed skin of her back.

"I've been through worse." She shrugged. He knew she said it an attempt to diffuse his worry but his heart ached at her words.

Wrapping his arms around her waist, he pulled her back to his body as he buried his face in her chestnut locks. "Oh, Liv", he breathed, trying to erase all the hurt, all the traumatic memories. Her hands came up to cover his as they splayed out against her stomach. He heard her breath catch when his lip ran down the chords of her throat.

She shrugged her shoulders, causing the material to fall away. Her head fell back against his shoulder as his lips worked their way from her neck to the bare skin of her shoulder.

Moving his hand to slip under the neckline of her dress, she let out a moan as his fingers teased the sensitive skin of her breast. Her hand for the hair at the back of his head as his lips continued their assault on her skin.

His hands pushing the material of her dress down so she was standing there in a strapless bra and black lace panties. He opened his eyes, briefly glancing at their reflection in the mirror. Her head was thrown back in pleasure, her chest heaving with every breath she took as his hands paid special attention to her growing baby bump.

Turning around in his arms, her eyes met his and the passion evident there made her heart ache. He brought his hand to her face, his large palm pressing against her cheek as he swiped a thumb across her swollen bottom lip. "God, I love you", she breathed, her hands whispering along his sides.

"I love you too, Olivia. Always."

Her breath caught at his words as he swooped down to captured her lips with his. He moaned into her mouth as he felt her hands tugging his dress shirt from his pants. Reaching down, he grasped the back of her knees and lifted her to perch on the edge of the vanity. Her thighs clenched around his hips as her fingers whispered up and down her back, causing her to shiver.

Hearing a low buzz fill the room, she noticed a small vibration against her thigh. Reaching her hand into the pocket of his trousers, she fished out his ringing phone as he licked and sucked at the skin on his collarbone.

"Ed", she said firmly to get his attention. He pulled back, his lust filled eyes confused at her change in demeanor. She held up his phone in between them and his eyes focused to find that it was 1PP that was calling. Releasing a low sigh, he took the phone from her hand and answered it before going into the other room.

Olivia slipped from atop the counter to lean against it, bringing her thumbnail to her mouth as she strained to hear the conversation. After a couple of moments of hushed responses, the phone call ended and Ed appeared in the doorway of the bathroom.

Question and worry ran rampant across her features as she waited for him to speak. "1PP wants me to come in first thing in the morning." He explained. She sighed and hung her head, defeat washing over her. He moved to stand in front of her, his hands running up and down her arms as he pressed a kiss into her hair. "It'll be okay."

"How do you know?" She asked, concern marring her face as she looked up at him.

Bringing his hand up to her face, he brushed her hair behind her ear. "Because we're together. No matter what." Her eyes began to glass over at his words and he caught her lips with his before a tear could fall. He pressed their foreheads together as their mouths parted. "C'mon, let's get to bed."

* * *

The sound of Olivia's toe tapping against the hard wood floor echoed around her small office. Ed's meeting with 1PP started an hour ago and she still hadn't heard from him. She couldn't go thirty seconds without looking at her phone, let alone focus on any semblance of work.

Checking her phone for the umpteenth time, she found nothing. Making sure her ringer was on loud, she shoved it in the drawer in an attempt to rid herself from further distraction. Looking down at the file in front of her, she read the same paragraph for what seemed like the millionth time. Just when she was about to reach for her phone again the door to her office creaked open.

Her eyes looked up to find the person she had been dying to hear from, Ed. He stood in the doorway, his tie loosened around his neck. Stepping into the room completely, he closed the door behind him.

As soon as the door clicked shut, she leaped up from her seat and made her way towards him. "So?" She asked, urgently.

"I'm done at IAB", he rasped.

Disbelief registered on face as her chin quivering with emotion. "How can they do that? You've been with IAB for over twenty years..."

He stopped her rambling with placing his rough index finger to her lips. "They didn't do anything. I put in to be transferred to HNT."

Shock crossed her features and she spoke lowly. "Why would you do that?"

Taking her face in his hands, he kissed her firmly in an attempt to reassure her before pressing his forehead against hers. "Because, Liv", he breathed, his hot breath surrounding her. "When I saw you there, being pushed against the wall by _him_ , I knew that I could never be objective when it came to you. I could never do my job when my only goal in life is to keep you and our kids safe."

"Ed", she exhaled, her eyes closing against the flood of emotion that rushed over her at his words. "You did that for me?"

His hands wrapped around her waist and threaded together at the small of her back, pulling her against him. "I did it for us." He assured. She brought her hands up to hold his head against hers. "You're safe, they're not going to touch your shield."

"What did I do to deserve you?" She asked, her voice cracking with emotion.

Her heart ached as he kissed the tip of her nose. "You have been through enough in your life. You deserve the world."

* * *

 **Thanks for reading guys! Appreciate you!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey babies! This was originally going to be an extremely long update but I broke it up into two parts so my lovely readers wouldn't have to wait as long.**

 **For the sake of the story, the whole Hank Abraham case happened between the first and second chapter.**

 **Again, this chapter is a bit shorter than normal but hopefully it will hold you over until the next update!**

 **Thus chapter picks up about two weeks after the last one. ENJOY!**

* * *

Walking into the soon to be nursery, Olivia crossed her arms as she surveyed the newly painted walls courtesy of, none other than, Ed Tucker. He had his back to her and she grinned as she watched him. Dressed in faded jeans and a ratty NYPD shirt, he had a roller in his hand as his hips swayed slightly to the Bruce Springsteen coming from the blue tooth speaker.

She cleared her throat in an attempt to get his attention. When that did not work, she turned off the music which caused him to spin around in surprise, Surprise was soon replaced with delight. Placing the roller down in the paint, he approached her.

Wrapping one arm around her waist, he pulled her to him and placed a sure kiss on her lips. He smiled against her mouth as he felt her firm belly press against his. She was finally showing and he had never loved a sight more than pregnant Olivia.

"This looks great!" She said when they parted, observing the soft mint green walls. They had thrown around the idea of painting the nursery pink, but Olivia, never a girly girl, nipped that idea in the bud.

His hand, spotted with dry paint, came up to cup her cheek. "Thanks, but you really shouldn't be in here with the fumes."

She brought her hand up to hold his wrist. "A couple of minutes isn't gonna kill me."

He rolled his eyes playfully at her stubbornness, "So between you and me our little girl doesn't stand a chance when it comes to having a hard head, huh?"

Throwing her head back, she let out a hearty laugh. "I guess you're right."

With a smile and a wink, he let her go and moved to continue the task at hand. "I don't know what your thought process was when you bought this place but the third bedroom is definitely coming in handy now."

Sitting on the rocker that was moved into the middle of the floor, she began to sway slowly in the chair. "Well, I bought this place when I was with Cassidy and I guess i subconsciously wanted to fill these rooms with kids."

She noticed the muscles in his back tense and his movements cease at the mention of her ex. Fighting her way out of the rocking chair, she moved towards him and pressed a hand to the center of his back. "You wanted kids with Cassidy?" He asked, his back still towards her.

"No", she whispered and he turned around at that. His eyebrows knitted together as his eyes met hers. "That's why we ended it. I wanted to grow and start a family and he just didn't want to grow up." Taking his face in her hands, she pulled him close so his forehead was against hers. "The only person I want a family with is you. None of that matters anymore."

Nodding his head against hers, theirs noses brushed as their breaths mingled together. He brought his hands up to her waist, his thumbs slipping underneath her shirt to rub against her bump. They stayed like that for several moments, enjoying the feeling of skin against skin. Her eyes fell closed at the methodic rhythm of his breathing.

"Do you want to get married?" He asked, breaking the silence. Her eyes shot open and she pulled her head away from his at the unexpected question.

She blinked multiple times as his vulnerable blue eyes gazed into hers. "What?" She breathed.

As if her surprise slapped him in the face, he shook his head and turned away from her. "Never mind. It was just a stupid idea." he mumbled as he bent back down to absentmindedly stir the paint.

When the realization of what just transpired dawned on her, she quickly recovered from her silence. She walked over to him and gently took the paint stirrer from his hand. "Hey, it's not stupid." She grabbed his face between her hands, "Is this what you really want?" She asked, her eyes squinting as they peered into his. "I don't want you feeling that this is something that you have to do."

His hands wrapped around her waist, lacing together at the small of her back as he nudged his nose against hers. "You're making it sound like I haven't thought about this before."

Her eyes blinked several times while her brain processed his words. "Have you?" Her voice was small, tentative.

"All the time", he admitted. "I've wanted to marry you since I first convinced you to try bourbon that one night." She swiped a stray tear from the corner of her eye as she chuckled at his very typical response.

Looking away, she brought her thumbnail between her teeth as thought swirled around in her mind. "Don't you love me?" He teased, playfully wiggling her body in his arms.

Her eyes met his and the smirk on his face made her heart skip a beat. "Of course", she breathed, her hands moving up to his biceps. "My last engagement didn't end well."

"This isn't like that, Liv." He reassured, pulling her closer. "You have nothing to run from this time. You have me, Noah and our little girl. I want to see a ring on that finger. I want to hear the name Noah Tucker when our boy graduates high school. I want us to be a real, annoyingly normal family."

Unable to stop the tears that fell from her eyes at hearing Ed talk about their future, she brought her hands to her face to wipe them away. "Yes", she exhaled lowly.

Ed leaned his ear towards hers, pretending like he didn't hear her. The smile on his face told her that he heard exactly what she said.

"Yes!" She laughed loudly as his lips caught hers.

With his arms firmly around her waist, Ed lifted Olivia up so she could wrap her legs around his waist. He leaned back against the recently painted wall, not caring about the state of his shirt. Sinking down to the floor, he held her in his lap while her lips moved over his.

His hands came up to hold her face, pulling back to look at her. She smiled down at him, her fingertips running along his swollen lips. He pursed his lips, kissing her dainty digits before pulling her close and placing kisses along the expanse of her face.

* * *

Olivia had spent almost every day for the past four years in this office, sometimes for more than twelve hours. But today, she found being cooped up in this room unbearable. All she could think about was her conversation with Ed the day prior and she could not wipe the smile off of her face.

Looking down at her now bare left ring finger, she wiggled it, wondering what it would feel to finally have that finger adorned after all these years.

A soft knock of her office door brought her out of her thoughts. Looking up, she saw Ed's long time partner Cole Draper. "Cole", she greeted with a smile. "Did Ed tell you already? I told him..."

"I'm sorry, lieutenant. I'm afraid this isn't a social call." He interrupted, causing her face to drop with worry.

Over the past year, Cole had spent a good deal of time with the couple. He had even watched Noah a time or two. Olivia considered him a friend and she could tell by the sympathy on his face that he was here doing IAB's work.

As she wracked her mind for what she could have possibly done, Chief William Dodds stepped into the room causing her to freeze. A chill ran down her spine as the tiny hairs at the back of her neck stood at attention.

After a moment of staring her down, Dodds spoke. "Since your involvement with Captain Tucker has come to light, I have taken it upon myself to look into the recent cases you two have worked on together in the past year. Just to make sure no one has suffered injustice due to your relationship." The last word rolled off of his tongue like it was poison.

Looking up from his feet, the expression of guilt was evident on Cole's face as his hands that were clasped together in front of him worried against each other. "We'll need you to come down to 1PP, lieutenant."

Olivia's eyes widened as she sighed incredulously, standing up front her desk. Dodds eyed her baby bump with distain as she crossed to the front of the desk while Cole's face held compassion.

The chief exited the office first leaving the Lieutenants to fall behind him. Her questioning eyes met her friends and the only response he could give her was closing his eyes with a shake of his head as his hand came up to rub her upper back soothingly.

With that, Olivia knew that this was all retaliation and most likely completely unfounded.

* * *

Adjusting herself in the stiff metal chair, Olivia cleared her throat as Cole pressed the record button on the camcorder that was positioned on the table between them. Chief Dodds was sitting next to Cole with his arms crossed over his chest, a very satisfied look on his face. "Can you let me know what this is all about now?" Olivia asked, frustration evident in her voice as she intertwined her hands in front of her on the metal table.

Opening the file in front of him, Cole began. "Lieutenant, do you recall the Hank Abraham case?"

She blinked away the confusion. "Of course I do."

"It says here that you informed IAB Captain Ed Tucker about the raid on Deputy Comissioner Abrahams house long before protocol states you should contact Internal Affairs." Lieutenant Draper dictated as his eyes scanned the file. "Why is that?"

"I knew that IAB would be getting involved eventually, with it being the Deputy Comissioner, so I took the initiative to contact them myself." She explained professionally. "I've known Captain Tucker for almost twenty years. I know he wants his investigations to be air tight. I wanted him to know that we were doing everything by the book so there wouldn't be accusations of wrong doing later on down the road."

Cole let out a small sigh, knowing that this line of question was reaching. "Is it true that Captain Tucker let you into the Abraham apartment alone before CSS?"

She sighed loudly before answering. "Hank's wife, Pippa Cox, is an advocate for children that has worked with SVU many times. I wanted her to have time to get her kids ready before CSS ransacked the house. It was strictly professional courtesy."

Before Cole could speak, Chief Dodds leaned forward. His eyes were stone cold as he spoke. "So it's possible that you could've planted those hard drives under Abraham's drawer?"

Olivia was taken aback by his accusation. She looked at Lieutenant Draper, not bothering to waste her attention on Dodds. "Abraham pleaded guilty, he admitted what he had done. Why is this coming up now?"

"Answer the question, Olivia." Dodds demanded harshly. She looked at him incredulously. She couldn't believe his audacity, to use her given name in such an unprofessional way as well as what he is accusing her of.

Ignoring Dodds once again, she turned to Cole. "I wasn't aware it was standard procedure to have the Chief is here for questioning..."

Draper, as well as Dodds, knew she was right. "Give us the room, Chief." Cole requested.

The chief stood from the table causing the metal of the chair to scrape against the floor. His cold eyes threw daggers at Olivia but her eyes never met his.

As soon as the door to the interview room shut, she turned to Cole. "It wasn't Abraham who wanted this case reopened, was it?" She asked, defeat written all over her face.

"I think you know the answer to that." He replyed, adverting his eyes to the two way mirror where the Chief was surely watching.

She sighed softly, "Cole, did Ed tell you what happened at the foundation gala?"

As soon as the words left her mouth there was a loud knock on the other side of the mirror. Cole excused himself and as soon as he opened the door she heard Ed's angry voice.

Not caring about protocol, Olivia jumped up from the table to follow Cole out. The first thing she saw was her fiancee chest to chest with her assailant. "I told you to stay away from her!" He growled, shoving his finger in the Chief's face.

Cole was behind him in a second, pulling him away from the superior officer. The gesture was one made as a friend more than a cop. "Relax, Ed." He tried soothingly.

That just caused Ed to fight against his restraint. "He attacked Olivia at the Astoria and now he's trying to intimidate her into keeping quiet."

All eyes found their way to Olivia at the admission. Her hands came to cover her stomach as if to protect to baby before nodding, confirming the words were true.

Draper let go of Ed before approaching Dodds, motioning for him towards the interrogation room. "You don't want to do this, lieutenant." The chief warned.

That caused Cole's face to set in a hard line. "Chief Dodds, you are no longer my superior but a suspect. Are you sure you want to threaten me?"

Chief Dodds fell silent as he trudged into the interrogation room. Ed was at Olivia's side, his forehead pressed against hers as his hands cradled her face in his.

"I'm okay, I promise." She muttered, her shaking hands finding their way to his sides.

Nodding his head against hers, he kissed her forehead. "Let's get you home."

* * *

 **Hope you guys enjoyed it! Up next: the trial! Reviews really inspire me so give me some inspiration!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hey friends! I'm sorry for the delay, it usually takes me a while to write a chapter because I am very much invested in writing these characters, especially Ed and Liv, authentically. And if I don't think the dialogue I write is something that they would say, I go back and rewrite it. So I thank you for the patience while I this story as believable as possible.**

 **Also, this is the first court room scene that I have ever written so be gentle. I actually did a bit of research on the jargon so I hope it seems authentic.**

 **Warning: time jump of a couple of months!**

* * *

Looking into the mirror in front of her, Olivia sighed as she closed her eyes in frustration. Her earrings rattled as she held them in her shaking hands.

Bringing her hands up, she tried for what seemed like the millionth time to put her earring through the opening. The trembling proved too much and she huffed, dropping the piece of jewelry on her dresser. "Ed!" She called.

Within a few seconds he was in the doorway to their bedroom, dressed in his normal work suit with a giggling Noah thrown over his shoulder. The smile on his face dropped when he noticed the defeat marring her features. She was standing in front of her vanity, her seven month pregnant belly protruding against the blouse she was wearing.

Placing Noah down to his feet, his hand fell on the boy's shoulder. "No, why don't you go show Lucy how you can write your name while I help Mama."

The boy ran off excitedly at the chance to show his babysitter what he had learned. Ed walked into the room until he reached Olivia. "You okay, doll?" He asked tentatively.

Sighing lightly, she turned to him and held out her shaking left hand. Taking her hand with his left, he covered it with his right. He couldn't help the slight smirk that came to his face as he felt their wedding bands clink together. "Nervous?" He asked, rubbing her hands soothingly even though he knew the answer. The trial against William Dodds was set to start today and they were to appear in court in an hour and a half.

"Can't we just stay home and cuddle on the couch with Noah all day?" She practically whined, causing a sad smile to grace his face.

"What do you always tell survivors when they don't want to testify?" He asked, squeezing her hand soothingly. He was always careful to not use the word victim when it came to Olivia. She wasn't a victim, she was a strong survivor.

She exhaled, knowing he was right. "I've met survivors who regret not testifying but never ones who regret testifying."

"That's right", he encouraged, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear before laying a warm kiss on her forehead. "Now, what can I do to help?"

Motioning to the discarded jewelry on the dresser, she watched him pick up the delicate piece in his large hands. He fumbled with it for a second before bringing it up to her ear and slipping it in smoothly. She watched him as he did the same with the other one.

"Thank you", she breathed, her hands coming up to rest on the flat planes of his chest.

He leaned forward until his lips were a breath away from her face. "Anything for my wife." He whispered before pressing his lips to the corner of her mouth.

* * *

The courtroom was filled to the brim with people. The prosecution side as well as the defense side was packed. The only person that Olivia noticed was missing was Sergeant Michael Dodds and she couldn't say she blamed him. Ed was sitting next to her on the wooden bench, his right arm around her shoulders as her left hand rested on his knee.

Opening statements had just come to a close as ADA Rafael Barba stood from the table. "The prosecution would like to call Captain Edward Tucker to the stand."

Pressing a kiss to his wife's temple, Ed rose from his seat on the bench. He felt a supportive rub on his lower back before he started towards the witness stand.

Unbuttoning his suit jacket, he smoothed out his tie before sitting down on the wooden chair. His ice blue eyes pierced Chief Dodds where he sat next to his defense attorney John Buchanan.

Barba stood and walked around the front of desk before making his way to the witness stand.

"Good morning, Captain", he greeted as he approached.

Ed responded with a nod. "Counselor."

"Captain Tucker, can you please give us your account of the events that took place on April 8th?"

Taking a deep breath, he began. "That was the night of the NYPD Foundation gala. The whole night was pretty uneventful until Lieutenant Benson and I were ready to leave."

"And what happened when you two were about to leave?" He prodded, his hands in the pockets of his expensive suit pants.

"I was on my way to meet Lieutenant Benson in the lobby of the hotel and when I approached the lobby I saw that Chief Dodds had her arms pinned against the wall over head." His jaw clenched hard and he had to forced himself to continue. "His body was pressed against hers, trapping her against the wall and he was whispering deplorable things in her ear."

At the statement, Buchanan shot up from his chair. "Objection! Hear say, there's no way he could've heard what Chief Dodds was allegedly saying from where he was standing."

The judge nodded in agreement, "Sustained."

Barba blinked in an attempt not to roll his eyes. "What happened after that?"

"I approached them and pulled him off of her, subduing him before making sure Lieutenant Benson was okay. Chief Dodds then continued to threaten our jobs at NYPD before Lieutenant Benson and I left."

"Thank you, Captain Tucker. The prosecution rests." Barba concluded, heading back to his chair.

Counselor Buchanan took that as an opportunity to approach the stand. "Captain Tucker, how long have you been with the NYPD?"

Ed was slightly shocked at the question. "I've been on the force for thirty two years."

Olivia, as well and Ed and Rafael, wanted to smack the smug look off the defense attorney's face. "If I'm not mistaken, the NYPD allows their officers to retire after twenty years. That means you've fulfilled over 150% of the required years of service. Why did you stay in the field this long?"

Tucker sighed, nothing like having to explain yourself to the scum of the earth. "I've been told that I'm good at my job. I'm of sound body and mind. I've never encountered anything that has made me want to leave."

Buchanan shook a finger as if he disagreed. "But you did transfer from IAB to HNT, did you not?"

"Objection!" Barba called. "Relevance?"

"Sustained. Get to the point, Mr. Buchanan."

The defense attorney looked at the judge sympathetically. "I'm sorry, your honor. Captain, what is your relationship to Lieutenant Benson?"

Ed's eyes found Olivia's. "I'm her husband." She couldn't help the small smile that pulled at the corner of her lips at his statement.

Buchanan nodded before asking, "And how long have you two been involved?"

At the mention of his marriage to Olivia, he couldn't help twisting his new wedding band around his finger. "We've been married for about two months but we've been together for about a year."

"Two months, you say?" The attorney promoted to which Ed nodded. "So, that would means that you two got married right after allegations surfaced against Lieutenant Benson about a case you worked on together. Is that correct?" Ed stared him down with his mouth set in a hard line. He knew exactly where he was going with this. "Your honor, can you instruct the witness to answer the question?"

"Captain Tucker..." The judge prodded.

"Yes", he practically growled.

John paced back and forth as he continued his questioning. "How convientient that you wouldn't have to testify against your wife if that went to trial."

Barba stood from his chair in a flash. "Objection! This trial is about the charges against Chief Dodds, not for the ludicrous allegations made against Lieutenant Benson that have since been retracted."

"The jury will disregard", The judge stated. "We'll take a short recess."

* * *

"That guy's got a set on him." Carisi scoffed, shoving his hands in his pants pockets causing Rollins to nod in agreeement. Olivia, Ed, Carisi, Fin and Rollins were all standing outside the courtroom, waiting for court to resume session.

Ed was standing next to his wife, a comforting hand on her lower back. Amanda noticed the gesture with a slight smile, happy for her lieutenant. Her thoughts were interrupted as Barba approached the group. "You're up next, Liv. How are you holding up?"

"I'm fine", she said with a forced smile. Ed could tell be the ways her eyes were shifting around the hallway that she was not as fine as she wanted them to believe.

Taking her hand in his, he addressed the group. "Give us a second."

Pulling her aside, he took both of her hands in his. "Talk to me", he encouraged softly, his blue eyes pleading with hers.

Her shoulders sagged. "I don't know what's wrong with me. I've testified hundreds of times but I can't shake this anxiety."

He pulled her hands around his waist until they were resting on the planes of his back before wrapping his arms around her shoulders. Pulling her closer, he placed his lips next to her ear. "You can do this, I know you can. You're so strong." He punctuated that statement with a kiss on the shell of her ear. He pulls back, framing her face with his large hands while her hands still clung to the muscles of his back. "And if you're feeling a little weak just look for me. I'll be there the whole time."

As if the universe had heard their conversation, Ed's phone rang from his pocket interrupting their moment. He excused himself to answer the phone while she went to sit on a bench near the rest of her squad, still keeping an ear on her husband's conversation. "I told you I can't today... Yeah, I'm at the courthouse right now that's why...", she could the tension in his shoulders as he brought his free hand up to squeeze his temples. "The Brooklyn bridge?... Fine."

Releasing a heavy sigh, he approached the group. When his wife's eyes met his, he knew that she knew what he was about to say. He made a bee line for her, squatting down in front of where she was seated on the bench. "It's okay, you go." She said, giving him an unconvincing smile.

A small smile spread across his lips at her selflessness. "There's a jumper on the Brooklyn bridge and I'm the closest person in the city." He explained, his hands finding their way to her protruding belly. "But I'm here with you, always."

With a tear glistening in her eyes, she brought her hand up to hold his cheeks. Leaning forward, she shakily pressed her lips against his. "I love you." He whispered against her lips when they parted.

She smiled minutely, keeping her forehead against his until she began to wiggle uncomfortablely. "I have to pee", she sighed in frustration.

Standing up, Ed helped her to her feet before she waddled off to the bathroom. Once she was out of earshot, Ed turned to the group. "I need you to keep an eye on her. She needs to stay calm, otherwise her blood pressure is going to skyrocket." He explained before turning to Barba. "I know Buchanan is going to be brutal. Please try to reign him in."

Normally Barba wouldn't stand for taking orders from Tucker but in this case he knew it was pivotal. "I'll try my best." He promised.

"She'll be fine, Capt'n. She testified against William Lewis without even breaking a sweat." Fin chimed in.

Ed sighed, running a hand over his weary face. "I hope you're right. Keep an eye on her, I'll see you guys later." They group watched as he walked briskly towards the door.

* * *

It was impossible for Olivia to get comfortable. She couldn't tell if it was the hard wood seat on the witness stand or if it was the whole court room staring at her. Barba nodded slightly as he approached the witness stand, his way of encouraging her. She took a deep breath before he began.

"Lieutenant Benson, thank you for joining us today." He greeted. She gave a small smile in response. "Can you tell us what happened the night of the NYPD gala?"

Taking a deep breath, she began. "At the end of the night, I was waiting in the lobby for my now husband to meet me so we could walk home together and that's when the defendant stumbled into the lobby. He cornered me and when I tried to deny his advances, he pinned me against the wall." Her teeth worried her bottom lip, suddenly relieved that Ed wasn't here to listen to this again. She had already told him the details and she could practically feel the the anger radiating from him when she did. "I could feel him pressing against me. He said how he wanted to know what it felt like to be inside of me. That he always wondered what I tasted like..."

Olivia looked down, unable to continue. The words tasting vile on her tongue. She saw that Rafael's hands were resting on the ledge of the witness stand and she looked up at him. "You did great, Lieutenant. Thank you." He spoke softly. By the tone in his voice, she could tell that the words were not spoken as the ADA but as her friend.

As Barba headed back to his table, Buchanan left his.

"Good morning, Lieutenant. You're positively glowing." He greeted, his altruism clearly a farce. "How far along are you now?"

Before Barba even had the chance to object, the judge interjected. "Mr. Buchanan, proceed with your questioning." she warned.

The cunning smile playing on his face made chills run down her spine and she brought her hands to her swollen stomach as if to protect her daughter from him. "Ms. Benson, or should I call you Mrs. Tucker...?"

She was not going to let him patronize her. "Lieutenant is fine." She replied firmly, staring him down.

"Lieutenant it is", he let out in a low laugh that made her blood boil. " _Lieutenant_ , is it true that this was the second event you accompanied Chief Dodds?"

Moving a piece of hair that had fallen into her line of sight, she answered. "Reluctantly, yes."

He clasped his hands behind his back as he paced in front of her. "Is it possible that the Chief could have interpreted your compliance with mutual attraction?"

A bitter laugh escaped her lips. "I made it very clear that I did not want to attend the gala with him. He used his pull as my superior to bully me into agreeing."

"Ah ah, Lieutenant", John chided as he reached the jury, shaking his finger as if reprimanding a child. "I asked if it was _possible_."

Her jaw clenched and her lips set in a hard line. "Anything is _possible_."

"Ms. Benson... I'm sorry, Lieutenant", he corrected. "How long have you been with the Special Victims Unit?"

The urge to roll her eyes was almost too strong to fight. He had cross examined her so many times before that he knew how long she had been with the sixteenth precinct. "Over nineteen years."

"And in those nineteen years, you've learned that it is always better to report an assault sooner rather than later, is that correct?"

Feeling the heat of anxiety rise through her chest, Olivia adjusted in her chair. "I guess you can say that."

Buchanan's pacing came to a stop and he turned to face the Lieutenant. "So why did you wait to report your so called assault?"

"It's very common for survivors to be reluctant in reporting their assault." she explained, her voice faltering.

John's calculating gaze met hers. "Yet, you're an expert in this area and you still decided to say nothing until you were being accused of misconduct in a case against the former police commissioner. How convenient for you."

Rafael rose from his seat. "Objection, argumentative."

"Sustained."

"Did you or did you not accuse Chief Dodds of sexual assault to get out of your own charges?" He bellowed.

Her heart began to race as the blood drained from her face. "No, of course not." She replied, her voice wavering.

"C'mon, Lieutenant. You saw your lively hood going down the drain and you had to do something about it! Admit it!" He roared, getting closer to her.

She could feel her pulse pound in her ear and her head become fuzzy as her stomach began to cramp. Barba saw the toll this ludicrous questioning was having on her and he jumped up from his chair. "Objection, your honor! Badgering the witness!"

"Admit it, Lieutenant!" He yelled, slamming his hand on the ledge of the witness stand which caused her to jump.

The judge stood up, planting her hand on the bench in front of her. "Back off, Mr. Buchanan!" She shouted.

"No", she practically squeaked, hunching over and clutching her abdomen.

At that moment, Barba threw all court room etiquette out the window and rushed the witness stand to help his friend. Seeing the ADA bolting towards the stand, Carisi followed suit only to be stopped by the swinging doors that divided the courtroom. "Get a gurney in here!" He shouted, his accent as pronounced as ever.

"Look at me, Mami. Tell me what hurts..." Barba prodded softly, his soothing hands finding her arms.

Her eyebrows were knitted together as sweat beaded on her forehead. "The baby... something's wrong. It's too soon..." She managed to get out before another wave of pain overtook her.

As the paramedics were pushing in the stretcher, Fin sprinted towards the witness stand. "C'mon, baby girl, I got you." He muttered, picking her up with one arm under her knees and the other around her back. He carried her over to the gurney and laid her down gently. "You're gonna be okay."

Olivia gripped Fin's hand hard as the paramedics strapped her in. "Ed..." she sobbed quietly.

"He'll be there, Liv, don't worry." He promised, holding her hand between his before turning around. "Carisi, call Tucker! Tell him to meet us at New York Pres."

* * *

Throwing it into park, Carisi jumped out of the squad car and darted towards where all the police cars were positioned on the Brooklyn Bridge. Everyone was packing up as the would- be jumper was being loaded into a near by ambulance. He spotted Ed over by the command center, slipping out of his HNT jacket and taking out his earpiece.

"Capt'n!" Sonny shouted, slightly out of breath as he approached Ed. "I've been calling you."

Ed's expression turned solemn as the realization dawned on him. "Where is she? What happened?" He asked before breaking out into a sprint towards the squad car.

Carisi quickened his pace to keep up with the Captain. "They took her to New York Pres.", he replied. That made Ed stop in his tracks, his heart stopping along with him. "C'mon, I'll drive."

* * *

"I wanted my husband", Olivia pleaded through gritted teeth, squirming in the hospital bed. Amanda was sitting in the chair next to the bed, her elbows resting on her knees and her hands steepled in front of her face as she watched on helplessly.

The nurse studying the monitor sidled up to the side of the bed. "Your blood pressure is through the roof. I know you're in pain and I know you're worried but if you want a chance of waiting until your husband gets here, you need to try and relax." She explained, fiddling with the IV bag.

Nodding, Olivia did her best to focus on taking deep, calming breaths before another agonizing contraction ripped through her. She cried out and practically doubled over in the bed. Despite the agony running through her body she managed to reach out a hand weakly.

Seeing her gesture, Amanda jumped up from her seat and took her outreached hand. Although their relationship had been mostly professional, Amanda couldn't help but have a soft spot for Olivia. All her life, she has had to be the mature one in her family, always taking care of her mother and her sister. Under Benson's command was the first time that she felt safe and taken care of, like she truly belonged somewhere.

"Rollins", she breathed through clenched teeth. She had never seen this fear in her Lieutenant's eyes before, like she knew something was going to go wrong. A mother's intuition. "No matter what happens to me... I want you to make sure the baby is okay..." She managed to get out between waves of pain.

The blonde shook her head, not wanting to hear this. "Liv, you're going to be fine..."

"Please", she begged, squeezing her hand.

Nodding her head, Rollins complied. "Roger that, Lieutenant."

Olivia managed a small smile at her detective's usual response to an order. "Tell Ed and Noah...", Before she could finish, her eyes rolled back into her head and the monitor she was hooked up to let out a loud, elongated beep.

The nurse quickly pushed past Amanda and lifted up the covers to the bed. "She's hemorrhaging!" The nurse shouted causing a team of people to flood the room and surround Olivia.

Before Amanda knew what was going on, Olivia was being wheeled out of the room in her hospital bed. "What's going on?" She called out after them.

"Emergency c-section." the head nurse replied before following the rest of the group.

* * *

Bursting through the double doors, Ed raced down the corridor of the hospital hallway with Carisi hot on his heels. His steps were sure despite the panic etched on his face. His eyes frantically scanned the hallway, finally spotting Amanda leaning against the wall by the surgical unit, her teeth worrying against her thumbnail.

"Rollins", he rasped, his heart pounding. "What's going on? Where is she?"

Her somber eyes met his. "OR five."

At her words the panic coursing through his body turned to pure terror. He moved to push through the restricted door but Amanda stopped him. "Wait, Captain", she asserted, holding out a medical smock that was laid out on a nearby stretcher for his arrival.

Nodding minutely, he slipped him arm through the gown and Sonny took the liberty of tying it at the back of his neck while Ed slipped on a scrub cap on followed by a surgical mask. Pausing for a millisecond, he looked at his wife's squad. The people that have become like family to her as well as himself. Sonny gave him a encouraging nod while Amanda gently squeezed his arm.

With that, he turned and pushed through the double doors.

* * *

 **Sorry for the slight cliff hangers, guys! Review and I'll try my best to update ASAP! You guys give me life!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Here we go y'all! The conclusion to this little story that has had a vice grip on my heart. This was originally supposed to be a one shot but I'm just so in love with these characters that I could not get them out of my head. I hope you guys enjoy this. Let me know what you think PLEASE!**

* * *

Looking around the operation room, Olivia tried to find something to focus on to calm her nerves. The surgical bouffant cap crinkled as she looked around, the partition that was blocking the view of her stomach giving her unneeded anxiety. She had regained consciousness sometime after they had wheeled her into the sterile room and Ed was still nowhere to be found.

As the thought crossed her mind, the door to the operating room swung opened and a man was being ushered in the room. The mask and scrub cap obscured his face but she could see by the worried blue eyes that it was her husband. She couldn't help the sob that escaped her lips when he hurried over to her.

Tears streamed down towards her hairline as he leaned down and pressed his covered mouth to hers, not caring about the obstruction. "Ed...", she whimpered, his hands framing her face as he sat on the stool by her head.

"I'm here, Liv", He whispered, his voice even more gruff than normal.

There was a hint of panic in her eyes and it made his heart ache. "Where's Noah?"

"He's fine, he's with Lucy." He explained. Of course she was thinking about her son when she's lying on an operating table. If he wasn't before, he was sure then that he had picked the right person to be the mother to his child.

She shook her head slightly, her cries almost uncontrollable. "I'm sorry... the baby..." She weeped.

"You have no reason to apologize, okay?" He said firmly, his fingers wiping away her fleeting tears.

A throat clearing drew their attention to the man in the room preforming the procedure. "You must be Dad. I'm glad you could join us." Dr. Reed greeted, his kind eyes shining from behind his surgical mask. "We had a bit of a scare there for a minute there but I think we should be good from here on out. Isn't that right, Mama?"

"I hope so", Olivia laughed softly despite the tears lining her eyes.

The doctor's hands never faltered as he talked, a sign of his many years of experience. "I want you to do me a favor." He explained. "You take care of your girl up there and I'll take care of your baby girl down here, okay?"

"You got it, Doc." He let out in a relieved laugh, his fingers never stopping their soothing motions on Olivia's temples. "See, Liv? Everything is going to be fine."

She nodded as she pressed her lips together, trying to halt the tears that were building under her lids. It seemed as if his fingers had a mind of their own as they traced the lines of her face. Across her brow bone, down the dainty bridge of her nose and over her plump lips. She closed her eyes at his calming touch, a welcome distraction from the pressure her lower abdomen was enduring.

After several minutes, the tension on her stomach ceased along with the movement of Ed's fingers. When she opened her eyes, Olivia saw that her husband's attention was drawn to something beyond the divider. She craned her neck in an attempt to see for himself.

And just like that, the most beautiful sound echoed through the room. The healthy, vibrants wails of a newborn. "Ed", she breathed, trying to get his attention. "Is she okay?"

Before he could answer, the doctor walked from around the partition holding a blanketed bundle in his arms. "Want to meet your daughter?" He asked, his eyes shining.

Too emotional for words, Olivia just nodded her head vigorously. Dr. Reed lowered the bundle until it was level with Olivia's head and peaking out from the pink blanket was the most beautiful face she had ever seen. Her tiny red face contorting as mewls and whines escaped her perfect lips. "Hello, pretty girl." Olivia whispered, holding back her sobs. "I'm your mama."

As soon as the words left her mouth, a calmness washed over the baby as she craned her head towards the familiar voice.

"Want to hold her, dad?" The doctor asked.

Ed looked up at him with almost a child like enthusiasm. "Can I?"

That made Olivia and Dr. Reed chuckle. "Of course."

Receiving the delicate bundle in his arms, he was shocked at how light she was. Looking at her innocent, angelic face, he knew that his purpose in life from this moment on was to protect her at all costs. "So perfect", he muttered from behind his mask, his finger running over her soft cheek. "I'm never going to let anything happen to you."

Olivia felt like she was a voyeur in an extremely private moment but that did not deter her away from watching. Tears poured from her eyes as she watched the exchange between her husband and daughter. She couldn't believe the contempt she once had for him because right now her heart was so full that it could burst.

Dr. Reed's voice caught their attention. "She seems perfectly healthy, but she is eight weeks early so we are going to check her out real quick while we get you into recovery."

Olivia nodded with understanding as Ed reluctantly handed his daughter back over to the doctor. They both watched the doctor go and once he was out of sight, Ed turned to his wife. His eyes brimming with unshed tears and crinkling with what she knew was a wide smile.

Ripping the surgical mask from his face, he leaned down quickly and attached his lips to her. With one of his hands on her neck and the other on top of her head, his lips moved against hers. She could feel his emotions radiating off of him. "Thank you", he whispered, his warm breath engulfing her.

* * *

Blinking against the sunlight streaming through the window, Olivia opened her eyes. The room was quiet except for the sound of someone muttering. When her eyes came into focus, she saw her husband sitting in the rocking chair in the corner cradling their daughter. She watched them together for several minutes before Ed felt her gaze.

Getting up from the chair, he walked over to the hospital bed she was in. "Hey, you", he whispered, leaning down and placing the infant in her waiting arms. The baby squirmed until she found comfort against her bosom while Ed gave Olivia a kiss on her forehead and settling on the bed next to her. "I'm a little obsessed." He snickered, moving his arm so it was around his wife's shoulders as he perched on the edge of the bed.

"I don't blame you." She grinned, looking down at their little miracle. "She's the best thing I've ever cooked."

That made him chuckle. "I think she's going to look like you." Ed said, running a finger over the baby's dark feathered hair.

Turning to face her husband, a small smile spreading across her lips. "I hope she has your eyes." She exhaled, her own eyes shining. Placing a hand on the side of her neck, he pressed his lips against hers while his thumb brushed against her cheek. Their lips parted but they lingered for a moment longer, their faces staying pressed together before turing their attention back to the newborn.

They were silent for several minutes, savoring the feeling of finally being a family until the door creaked open with a light knocked. Amanda walked in the room with a large stuffed animal followed by Carisi who was carrying Noah with one arm. "Hey, ya'll", Amanda drawled lowly, placing the stuffed animal down on a free chair before making her way towards the bed. She lightly gasped as the newest edition came into view. "Oh, Liv. She's beautiful."

Squirming out of Sonny's arms, Noah hit the ground running towards his mom. Catching the boy as he hit his knees, Ed laughed as he lifted him to his lap. Noah reached a small hand out towards his sister. "Be careful, No", Olivia warned in a calm voice. "She's new and very fragile."

Sonny and Amanda watched the tender moment between the growing family before smirking shyly at each other. "What's her name, Mama?" Noah asked, his little hand resting over where the blanket was tightly swaddled.

"Her name is Louisa Edie Tucker." Olivia explained slowly.

Walking closer to the bed, Sonny shoved his hands into the pockets of his suit pants. "Our Lieu has her own little Lou. I love that." Amanda smiled and rolled her eyes at her partner's childlike giddiness. "Can I hold her, Lieu?" he asked.

Olivia nodded with a bright smile as she handed her daughter over to her most eager detective. His face softened as he looked down at the bundle in his arms.

"Fin is going to come when he gets out tonight." Amanda explained as she approached Sonny. Moving the pink blanket slightly, the baby's face came into full view. She swooned and brought her hand up to cover the wide smile that spread across her face. "Oh my, look at that head of hair." She cooed. Sonny smiled down at his partner as she smiled down at the baby. She was always so hardened at work, it was refreshing to see her gush over something.

"Mama", Noah piped up, tapping on his mother's arm. When she turned her attention to him, he asked. "You baby's mama?"

She smiled and ran her hand over her son's hair. "Yes, sweetie." She could practically see the wheels turning in his head.

"Tuck is baby's daddy?" He asked, patting the chest of the man he was sitting on. She nodded in response. He thought for a moment before he spoke again. "Tuck my daddy?"

Olivia's heart both swelled and broke at the same time as her eyes moved to look at Ed's. The look in his eyes matched hers. Ed maneuvered the boy so he was now sitting on his lap, facing him. He cleared his throat, trying to control the emotion that he knew would be evident. "D-Do you want me to be your daddy?"

Suddenly, Noah sensed that he was being but on the spot. His eyes shifted nervously from Ed's to his mothers. Olivia nodded, encouraging him to express his feelings. A slow smile crept onto his face as he nodded eagerly. Ed let out a breathy laugh before pulling the boy to his chest. Laying a kiss on the boys head, Ed's eyes met his wife's. "My boys", she breathed, a supple tear falling down her cheek.

Sonny gave Amanda a sideways glance, finding her eyes glassy as she watched the family in front of her. Still holding baby Louisa in his arms, he gave her a playful hip bump. She wiped her face before smacking him in the arm, knowing that he was teasing her for getting emotional.

It was then when Barba walked in the room, carrying a large arraignment of calla lillies. A smile spread across his normally stoic face. "You're looking a lot better than the last time I saw you." He smirked, placing the vase on a nearby table. "Where is the little one?"

Carisi turned around to reveal the bundle in his arms before handing him over to Rafael. "Hello _mamí_ ", He cooed, bouncing her gently in his arms. "Oh, you look just like _tu mamá_."

"Told ya", Ed muttered to Olivia, raising his eyebrows playfully as he nudged her lightly. She chuckled and leaned against him contently.

"And I have good news for _tu mamá_ ", Barba told the baby before turning his attention to Olivia. That peaked everyone's attention. "Dodds plead out to sexual misconduct. I know we were gunning for sexual assault in the fourth but this is good."

Olivia nodded slowly, processing the information. "What does that give him?"

"He goes on the registry, resigns as Chief and gets two years suspended." He could tell she wasn't exactly thrilled with the outcome. He walked closer to the bed, still cradling the infant in his arms. "But it saves _you_ the stress of testifying again."

The more she thought about it, she started to come around to the idea. Ed wrapped her arm around her shoulders and pulled her against him as she was lost in thought. She nodded against him, "You're right", she smiled slowly. "This is better."

Ed kissed her forehead supportively while cradling Noah in his lap. Her small smile grew larger as she looked at the people around her. They were't traditional but they were her family, for better or worse. Even on her darkest days, they would always be her sweet silver lining.


End file.
